Clubs of Japan, Tokyo Could be closed to avoid COVID-19
As the outbreak worsened globally, Tokyo’s nightclubs, for the most part, continued with business as usual, creating a fissure within a dance music scene trying to balance social responsibilities with the precarious financial situation faced by artists and the venues they play at. Many venues remain open, or have simply closed on a short-term basis.
Club News
Published Date - 12 Oct 2020
Tricked into complacency, almost all the major Tokyo clubs are still running like normal, causing a huge public risk for every person in this city
Large-scale cultural events to be canceled, WWW was one of the first music venues to take the step of axing or postponing events. Clubs and bars including Contact and Azumaya, both in Shibuya Ward, also announced temporary closures in the wake of Tokyo Gov.
Precautions taken by DJs and Club owner:
Owner of clubs such as Contact and Vision, instituted a new policy of checking temperatures and having attendees sterilize their hands before and after entering the venue. Since the policy came into effect.
Some Japanese dance music institutions have taken more drastic action. The organizers of the Rainbow Disco Club festival, for example, canceled this year’s edition, instead opting to host a livestream concert featuring some of the DJs that were meant to perform.
Financial loss:
financial woes speak to other threats from the spread of the new coronavirus -- loss of bookings, ticket and drink sales and other sources of income for clubs and artists. Smaller venues in particular do not necessarily have the financial clout of a large company behind them to bail them out if things get really bad. Fees for many DJs, meanwhile, are low to nonexistent, and some have consequently found themselves in a real bind.
DJs seeking help from Government:
Tsuchiya, whose festival hasn’t received any assistance from the government, makes a similar point, saying not just the music industry but all sectors suffering amid the pandemic need government support.
DJ Nobu has been lobbying lawmakers, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, over the issue, and a #SaveOurSpace petition was also launched, attracting 90,000 signatures by Sunday night, with a goal of reaching 100,000 by Monday evening.
For those who still feel the need to go ahead with their events despite knowing the risks, it’s not an easy choice.Clubs and the scenes that grow around them are also not just places of entertainment but of community as well.
The negative effects from the coronavirus can also manifest in lost opportunities. DJ and producer Noboru Okuda, who goes by the artist name Wrack, has been hit by the virus twice over: first after he had to cancel an anticipated performance in Tokyo by up-and-coming Chinese artist Dirty K, and subsequently when his tour of Mexico as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the acclaimed Mexican label Naafi was postponed.
As with so many other areas of society, the pandemic has confronted fans and people in the music industry with a need — and possibly a chance — to recalibrate the way the sector works. However, the effects stemming from the club scene’s precariousness will be felt first.
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Club News
Published Date - 12 Oct 2020
Tricked into complacency, almost all the major Tokyo clubs are still running like normal, causing a huge public risk for every person in this city
Large-scale cultural events to be canceled, WWW was one of the first music venues to take the step of axing or postponing events. Clubs and bars including Contact and Azumaya, both in Shibuya Ward, also announced temporary closures in the wake of Tokyo Gov.
Precautions taken by DJs and Club owner:
Owner of clubs such as Contact and Vision, instituted a new policy of checking temperatures and having attendees sterilize their hands before and after entering the venue. Since the policy came into effect.
Some Japanese dance music institutions have taken more drastic action. The organizers of the Rainbow Disco Club festival, for example, canceled this year’s edition, instead opting to host a livestream concert featuring some of the DJs that were meant to perform.
Financial loss:
financial woes speak to other threats from the spread of the new coronavirus -- loss of bookings, ticket and drink sales and other sources of income for clubs and artists. Smaller venues in particular do not necessarily have the financial clout of a large company behind them to bail them out if things get really bad. Fees for many DJs, meanwhile, are low to nonexistent, and some have consequently found themselves in a real bind.
DJs seeking help from Government:
Tsuchiya, whose festival hasn’t received any assistance from the government, makes a similar point, saying not just the music industry but all sectors suffering amid the pandemic need government support.
DJ Nobu has been lobbying lawmakers, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, over the issue, and a #SaveOurSpace petition was also launched, attracting 90,000 signatures by Sunday night, with a goal of reaching 100,000 by Monday evening.
For those who still feel the need to go ahead with their events despite knowing the risks, it’s not an easy choice.Clubs and the scenes that grow around them are also not just places of entertainment but of community as well.
The negative effects from the coronavirus can also manifest in lost opportunities. DJ and producer Noboru Okuda, who goes by the artist name Wrack, has been hit by the virus twice over: first after he had to cancel an anticipated performance in Tokyo by up-and-coming Chinese artist Dirty K, and subsequently when his tour of Mexico as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the acclaimed Mexican label Naafi was postponed.
As with so many other areas of society, the pandemic has confronted fans and people in the music industry with a need — and possibly a chance — to recalibrate the way the sector works. However, the effects stemming from the club scene’s precariousness will be felt first.
